Spoiler Warning:
It has been 17 years since the first “Hunger Games” novel was released, and Suzanne Collins has returned with a new installment of the hit series. The “Hunger Games” franchise takes place in the fictional world of Panem. The government, as a punishment for previous rebellion, began the “Hunger Games” where 24 tributes are randomly picked to fight to the death. The “Hunger Games” series follows the story of Katniss Everdeen, who volunteered to take the place of her sister as tribute. Collins’ new book “Sunrise on the Reaping” takes place during the second Quarter Quell, which is a special edition of the games every 25 years, telling the story of Haymitch Abernathy as he is selected to participate in the largest games to date.
In “Sunrise on the Reaping,” Haymitch’s games featured twice the amount of tributes, resulting in the games becoming more violent. In the end, Haymitch wins his games by throwing his axe at the arena forcefield, bouncing off the barrier behind him, and killing the last tribute. This event was seen as an act of defiance by the Capitol, since Haymitch had used their own weapons to his advantage, and was punished for his actions.
“Haymitch’s games were the most brutal, and I think by overemphasizing that fact, especially with today’s day and age, it makes the audience more aware of what is happening in the world,” Lambert senior Vaibhavee Shirkhedkar explained.
Collins’ new book puts the spotlight on themes that can be related to the real world such as governmental oppression. Despite him winning, Haymitch’s entire family was murdered by the Capitol after his games, which illustrates how brutal a government can truly become with enough power. Collins’ decision to highlight this in “Sunrise on the Reaping” brings light to governmental situations in the real world as well, making the reader more educated on how oppression can occur in real life. Governments around the world often abuse their power, especially in totalitarian countries, proving Collins’ point about the dangers of control.
While most other Young Adult (YA) dystopias have lost their appeal over the years, the “Hunger Games” series continues to release new books today. Fans have continued to support the series, which was especially evident in the anticipation surrounding the new novel “Sunrise on the Reaping.”
Compared to other YA dystopias, the “Hunger Games” series has managed to remain reflective of our society, which is why the books are still relevant, even a decade later. Fans have found many similarities in the world of Panem and ours today, such as the societal differences between the rich and poor class as well as governmental control. In the books, the districts represent the lower class, in comparison to the citizens of the Capitol, who live lavish, expensive lives, depicting the upper class. In Brazil, the richest 0.1% of the population makes $90,000 a month compared to 95% of the population that only makes $465 a month. This is only one instance of the wealth inequality that is seen around the world, where the lower class are neglected from financial aid while the top percentage benefits from their labor. Suzanne Collins uses this novel to portray the disparity between the two classes in our society and raise concerns regarding it.
“I see the bridge between rich and poor a lot,” Shirkhedkar highlighted. “In the book, when the Capitol is watching the games, it’s kind of a play on all these celebrities going to such lavish events like the Grammys, while we’re just watching them on television.”
In the Capitol, the people wear pretentious clothing and have grand lives, as opposed to those in the districts, who often struggle to simply make ends meet. The inequality between these two classes can be seen in the real world as well. For example, major chocolate companies such as Nestle and Hershey exploit their workers, who are often underage, in their cocoa farms. Children are often exploited and used for cheap labor to produce expensive chocolate, which is then enjoyed by the well-privileged. This process is very similar to the relationship between the Capitol and the districts in Panem, especially shown in District 11, since the people in the district work in harsh conditions to harvest and grow crops for the Capitol, showing how Collins’ books remain relevant to the real world. Regardless of how this system is taken to the extreme in Panem, the theme is the same across the board. In both the real world and the “Hunger Games” the wealthy are exploiting the poor for their own profit.
To Katniss, the people of the Capitol are ungrateful and wasteful people, since they have never faced the hardships and famine she endured growing up. In contrast, the Capitol views the districts as rebels who deserve to be punished for their past defiance. The districts are looked down upon and regarded as lesser beings by the Capitol. The contrasting perspective of these two societies mirror the real world, and the separation of upper and lower class.
Throughout her “Hunger Games” series, Suzanne Collins reveals the extent to which events such as the games can affect the person. Collins’ writing has been praised for capturing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, which is a common mental illness caused by a distressing event. After Katniss’s initial games, she deals with nightmares, hallucinations and panic attacks from the events. Collins perfectly shows how the victors cope with the aftermath of the games, such as Haymitch and Johanna resorting to substance abuse, or others like Katniss using mental hacks like counting to calm herself. All of these characters represent people in the real world and how they cope with traumatic events, providing a canvas for readers to project onto.
With the newest addition to the world renowned series, Collins continues to show her involvement in current affairs and the media. Her “Hunger Games” series has remained highly relevant with its commentary on societal norms, wealth disparity, and governmental control. “Sunrise on the Reaping” continues to stay connected with the fanbase and the rest of the series, shedding new light on the beloved story.
